Written by

Joe Sneve

Making his second stump trip to Dell Rapids, Rick Weiland returned to the same coffee shop he used to kick off his nine month tour of the state he hopes to represent in the U.S. Senate.

Weiland, a Democrat from Madison, vowed last summer to travel to every city, town and village in South Dakota because, he said, all residents of the Rushmore State should have a voice in Washington, D.C. In July 2013, the business owner and long-time staffer for former Sen. Tom Daschle announced those plans at Thanks-A-Latte coffee shop in downtown Dell Rapids.

Weiland was back at the main street business Wednesday, April 23, where he called his statewide tour a success.

“It’s been an incredible journey, and it’s been inspirational,” he said.

Weiland and his staff visited 311 incorporated towns in South Dakota and another 70 that weren’t incorporated. Fundraising along the way, Weiland said his journey was more about connecting with the people he will rely on for votes in November.

With as partisan of a political environment as there’s ever been in South Dakota and the United States, Weiland said dedicating time to discuss topics like wealth inequality, the fairness of the country’s tax system and the imperfections of America’s healthcare system is paramount to a successful campaign.

“I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve been able to sit down without the clutter of the partisanship,” he said. “It’s been tremendously rewarding, and it’ll make me a better senator.”

Even after meeting more than 10,000 people in towns across the state – from metropolitans like Sioux Falls and Rapid City to specks on the map like Hillsview and White Rock – Weiland said the pillars of his candidacy haven’t changed. Weiland’s campaign theme “Take it Back” was reaffirmed by the people he’s met since last summer.

“These are every day folks in our state who want the government to be on their side, who feel their government has been bought off,” he said. “That’s why I’m so red hot about wanting to keep having this conversation with thousands of South Dakotans.”

Now that he’s been to every corner of the state and every town in between, Weiland said he’s going to do it all over again.

“And If I’m fortunate enough to win I will continue to do it because I think you need to stay in touch,” he said. “You’re out there representing the people of the state and you have to know how they want to be represented.”